Name: Farms Afield: Bryn Athyn, PA
Start: 2025-09-09 16:00:00
End: 2025-09-11 11:00:00

Farms Afield: Bryn Athyn, PA

On our two-day Farms Afield trip this September, you’re invited to discover beautiful Bryn Athyn, a Historic District and National Historic Landmark, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Established as a religious community in the late 19th century, Bryn Athyn is a denomination of the New Church and like the Swedenborgian Church in San Francisco (toured during the 2018 Farms Afield to Berkeley, CA and the Bay Area), was founded upon the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg.

We will spend a full day touring Bryn Athyn Historic District and its historic structures, all constructed between 1892 and 1939. Our tour of Bryn Athyn will include two residences: the Beaux-Arts mansion Cairnwood and the castle-like Glencairn.

Built as a family home, Glencairn is now a museum of religious art and history. We’ll also tour Bryn Athyn Cathedral (pictured at top), a Gothic and early-Romanesque structure overlooking the picturesque Pennypack Creek Valley, and the central place of workshop for Bryn Athyn Church.

We will stay for two nights (Sept 9-10) at the nearby Joseph Ambler Inn, which features five meticulously restored buildings, including an award-winning restaurant, nestled within twelve acres of manicured gardens and rolling meadows. Offering a blend of historic charm and modern amenities, the Inn’s John Roberts House (pictured at right) will be home to Farms Afield attendees during our stay. Built in 1794, the John Roberts House was moved two miles to the grounds of the Inn, where it was painstakingly restored.

On the following day, our trip will conclude with a tour of Beth Sholom Synagogue. Commissioned in 1953, it is the only Synagogue designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. With its hexagonal floor plan, Wright sought to evoke the image of cupped hands, as if congregants were “resting in the very hands of God.”

Early Bird Rate Through July 20, 2025! SAVE $50!